Indiana Motorcycle Fatality Statistics
Indiana reported 108 motorcycle fatalities in 2015, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This number is slightly lower than recent years. In 2014, there were 124 and in 2013, there were 115. The high point in recent years came in 2012 when there were 152 deaths reported in motorcycle crashes.
Out of those killed in 2015 in motorcycle accidents, only 17 were wearing helmets. Another 79 were not wearing helmets and 12 were unknown. Indiana has a partial helmet law requiring those 17 years old and younger to wear one when riding. The state had an 18 percent rate of helmet wear, which saved 11 lives. However, another 33 could have been saved if the rate was at 100 percent.
Indiana had 222,655 motorcycles registered in 2014 with a fatality rate per 100,000 of 55.69. This rate was up slightly from 2013 but down significantly from 2012.
The majority of victims in motorcycle crashes were in the 50-59 age range with 28 deaths and in the 20-29 age range with 24 deaths. The two lowest categories were for those age 59 and over with 11 deaths and those 20 years old and younger with 4 deaths.
Around half of the counties reported a motorcycle fatality in 2015 with most having five or fewer. A few counties had between six and 15 deaths for the year. Lake County, located on the northwestern border of the state, reported eight deaths for the year, which was down from the 11 reported in 2014. Tippecanoe County in the west central part of the state had six for the year, which was up from one for the year before. Bartholomew County was another with higher than average numbers at seven deaths for 2015 as opposed to two for 2012 through 2014.